Daily Devotional for January 15, 2015
Hosea 3-4
Scripture:
Hosea 3:1–3 The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”
So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley. Then I told her, “You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will behave the same way toward you” (NIV).
Observation:
Can you imagine paying to redeem something that’s already yours? The thought of it almost seems absurd. But in this passage we read of Hosea paying the price to redeem his wife. Though she had independently incurred debt that wasn’t his to pay, he chose to make payment. And even though she had been unfaithful, he brings her back to his home, asks her to act faithfully, and declares his faithfulness to her. Does this sound familiar? It’s the story of the cross, before the cross!
God created mankind with His power, His breath, and from the dirt He had already created. There has never been a clearer case of ownership! Yet when we rebel and incur the debt of sin in our lives, He chooses to pay the price to redeem what was already His because of His immense love. He is faithful to pay our debt in spite of our unfaithfulness. As a response to His love, we should be inspired to live every day with the goal of incurring no more indebtedness to sin. And when we fail, we should remember to always return to the only One capable of redeeming us.
Application:
- Personal Application: God’s love for you is so great that He was willing to set aside His rights of ownership in order to pay your debt. Take a few moments and think of ways you can show your appreciation to God for paying the debt for your sins.
- Family Devotional: Read this passage to your family. Discuss the concept of redemption, and explain how Jesus’ work on the Cross is the ultimate redemption for those who put their faith in Him. Pray for your family.
Prayer:
- Personal Prayer Focus: Spend a few moments in prayer thanking God for His redemption, remembering that He paid a price that you are unable to pay.
- Family Prayer Focus: Ask God, like in the Lord’s Prayer, that He would keep your family far from the temptation to indebtedness to sin.
Three-Year Reading Plan for Sunday, January 10 – Sunday, January 17:
- Sunday, January 10: Psalm 70-71
- Monday, January 11: Psalm 72-73
- Tuesday, January 12: Psalm 74-75
- Wednesday, January 13: Hosea 1
- Thursday, January 14: Hosea 2
- Friday, January 15: Hosea 3-4
- Saturday, January 16: Hosea 5
- Sunday, January 17: Hosea 6
—Gene Crawford is an editor for the Assemblies of God Division of Publishing.
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